Nepal Ground Search
South Korea Expands Ground Search for Nine Missing Workers in Nepal
Anonymous
Key Points
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The overland search unit assembled at the South Korean Embassy in Kathmandu before departing for Ramche.
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If the team arrives in Ramche before 3 p.m. local time, it will conduct drone searches in the area.
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Battar is about 70 kilometers from the Rasuwa disaster site, and the mountain route from Battar to Ramche runs roughly 35 kilometers.
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The team plans to survey the area around the Weir Dam with a helicopter, though deployment depends on safety and air-traffic approvals.
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Nepalese authorities have barred foreign helicopters from operating in some windows, complicating aerial search efforts.
South Korea's government team has shifted to ground searches for nine missing Korean workers in Nepal after helicopter operations faced repeated delays. The Guardian reports the death toll from catastrophic flooding has risen to 903 people, with thousands still missing across Nepal and Tibet. The Korean rescue unit departed from the embassy in Kathmandu toward Ramche, a village near the Upper Trishuli-1 hydropower project, planning to camp overnight and deploy drones if they arrive before 3 p.m. local time.
The overland mission began after preliminary reconnaissance confirmed a 35-kilometer mountain route from Battar to Ramche was passable by road. ABC News notes that China and Nepal have deployed specialist tunnel experts to remote areas where hundreds of workers are believed trapped in hydropower project tunnels. Nepalese authorities have blocked foreign helicopter access on several occasions for safety and air-traffic reasons, forcing the team to pursue ground and drone operations while awaiting flight clearance.
Why Helicopter Searches Keep Getting Blocked
Bad weather and Nepalese air-traffic restrictions have halted aerial search attempts repeatedly. While helicopters have flown on some days, subsequent requests for clearance were denied by Nepalese authorities citing safety concerns. The denial of foreign helicopter access has left the Korean response team with limited options for covering rough terrain quickly around the hydropower site.
The Ground Team's Route to Ramche
The rescue unit established that Ramche could be accessed by a 35-kilometer mountain road from Battar, roughly 70 kilometers from the Rasuwa disaster site. This finding enabled the team to switch from helicopter-dependent searches to an overland operation. The team assembled at the South Korean Embassy in Kathmandu before departing, involving officials from the Foreign Ministry, police, fire authorities, and the embassy itself.
Drone Searches Contingent on Local Approval
If the ground team reaches Ramche before 3 p.m. local time, they plan to launch drone searches in the surrounding area. Drone operations depend on securing approvals from local Nepalese authorities. The team also aims to survey the Weir Dam zone by helicopter once flight clearance is granted, though deployment remains uncertain given ongoing air-traffic restrictions.
Scale of the Broader Disaster Across Nepal
The glacial collapse triggered catastrophic flooding that killed over 903 people in Nepal and Tibet combined, Market Screener reports. Over 4,000 people remain missing in Nepal alone, with another 500 unaccounted for on the Tibet side. Hundreds of workers are feared trapped in tunnels beneath hydropower projects, prompting coordinated rescue efforts from both China and Nepal deploying tunnel specialists.
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